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Does M2M Help or Hinder Machine Control Performance?

Several of the engineers implementing device-level networks and Ethernet in our machines want more machine-to-machine communication capabilities to supposedly help our customers. Some of our managers are concerned that M2M traffic could quickly grow beyond our customers’ ability to monitor and control it, and so M2M might actually hinder machine control performance instead of help it. Does anyone have some advice on monitoring and controlling, so we can all get on the same page, and help our customers?

Send us your comments suggestions or solutions to this problem. We’ll include it in the May ’13 issue, and post it on ControlDesign.com. Send visuals if you’d like —a sketch is fine. Email us at ControlDesign@putman.net. Please include your company, location and title in the response.